Philadelphia's Most Beautiful Photos of 2016

In 2016, Philadelphia remained as gorgeous as ever, from its most historic establishments to feats of contemporary design. Because our town is so dang good-lookin’, people like taking photos of it. Turns out, if you look through Instagram, you’ll learn that our photo culture is very vibrant and very strong. With that in mind, here are 20 of the most beautiful Philly Instagrams of 2016. Make sure to send it to your relatives who live in other, lesser cities to make them jealous.

Philly is full of beautiful murals, and this one in Francisville exudes a necessary political message.

Near or far, day or night, Philly looks damn impressive.

No one does Christmas quite like South Street. Those lights are the miracle.

Is there a more beautiful sight than coming in for the landing home?

Most American cities have parted ways with street cars. Sometimes a morning stroll in West Philly is all it takes to remind you of the beautiful history -- economic and otherwise -- that our fair city possesses.

Philly has some of the best -- and most beautiful -- boozing ‘round the country.

Who says prison can’t be beautiful? Anyone who knows Philly knows the church-like arches of Eastern State erases any sort of spooky sensation the penitentiary gives off -- it’s eerily powerful.

In what other great American city could you snap a pic of downtown and have it give off the appearance of a painting?

We’re called the City of Brotherly Love for a reason.

Even during construction, Philly finds a way to stand strong.

There’s nothing like an introspective Philly stroll.

You don’t even need to enter the newly-renovated hotel to recognize its beauty.

Everything You Need to Know About Legal Weed in Pennsylvania

Last week, my Uber driver tried to sell me some weed; or, more specifically, he tried to sell me something called “Orange Monkey Creamsicle,” assuring me it was “absolute fire.” I declined, but ended up saving his phone number anyway, figuring that it couldn’t hurt.

While it’s true that Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana back in 2016, recreational use remains a distant dream. When it comes to buying weed, most people -- even many of those who actually have a prescription -- are still relying on the old, shady methods. So, don’t plan on deleting your dealer’s number anytime soon.

That being said, change rarely happens all at once, and the Medical Marijuana Program (signed into law on April 17, 2016), was undoubtedly a step in the right direction. But how big a step? To get a sense of how much movement has been made on Pennsylvania’s weed front, I spoke with some experts on all things cannabis: Chris Goldstein, who teaches “Marijuana in the News” at Temple University and writes the Philly420 column for Philly.com, and Russ Cersosimo, chairman of the Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis Society. These bud pundits walked me through the ins and outs of legal weed in the Keystone State.

How to Attend the Eagles' Super Bowl Parade & Live to Tell the Tale

No, you weren’t dreaming on Sunday. Going from underdogs to top dogs, the beloved Philadelphia Eagles managed to defy Super Bowl expectations by outplaying the Pats and taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And, naturally, Philadelphians have been freaking out ever since. To celebrate the Eagles’ first Super Bowl win in franchise history, the city is hosting a championship parade and ceremony on Thursday, February 8, but before you gather your crew and hit Broad Street for more partying, there are some things you need to know. Here are those things.